Over 30 countries to vie for Asian art prize

TWO years ago, when art lover Serenella Ciclitira was in Indonesia, she asked a group of Indonesian artists: "Do you have a museum of modern art that I could visit?"

They replied: "Yes, we do. It's in Singapore; it's called the Singapore Art Museum."

To her, their dry reply underlines the inadequate art infrastructure that hinders the development of many Asian art scenes, particularly in parts of South-east Asia and Central Asia. With a weak gallery system and few or no museums to showcase their country's art, many good Asian artists are not getting the recognition that they deserve.

That is why she and her husband David helped found the Prudential Eye Awards through their not-for-profit organisation Parallel Contemporary Art and the famous Saatchi Gallery. Title-sponsored by life insurer Prudential, the award aims to recogn…